


These Secrets That Bind Us

by BrusselsSprout



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU, Ba Sing Se, Family, Gen, My love for Dadko is endless, Mystery, The Dai Li is terrible, s2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-08-29 22:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16752973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrusselsSprout/pseuds/BrusselsSprout
Summary: The Blue Spirit, a mysterious boy and the city of walls and secrets. A Ba Sing Se tea shop era AU.





	1. The Boy with Golden Eyes

The Lower Ring slept restlessly, just like the refugees it sheltered by the thousands. Groans of broken dreams, screams of nightmares, whispers full of shame and dark secrets. It was the noise of survivors; all tainted by selfishness, weakness or cruelty. At one time or another, they all looked the other way, took the last piece of bread, the last seat on a crowded boat. There was no place for idealists in a war. The city stank of their fear and filth as they cowered behind the mighty walls of Ba Sing Se. They saw it as shelter, but the dark figure who crept silently on the rooftops of the slums knew it was a prison. It was a the slow death of accepting failure, of broken will, of a destiny slipping away.

Every day he felt the dimming of his own fire that once burnt with bright purpose and determination as he toiled away faceless and nameless in the dark underbelly of the city. But at night, on the rooftops, far above the filth and stench, his spirit felt free. He could breathe once again, looking at the stars, naming the familiar constellations of his childhood. Agni’s sword, Wan’s torch, the Veil of the Painted Lady. The moon dressed the slum in a silvery glow, softening the rough edges. It almost looked peaceful.

 _Air is the element of freedom,_ Uncle used to say. Zuko never understood that until he stood high above Ba Sing Se, not for the first time wondering how his life would have turned out if he chose freedom. He could have taken the Avatar’s offer of friendship or he could have become the Blue Spirit, living as he pleased. But something always held him back. Was it love and loyalty as he once thought? Or was it something else, something he did not dare to name? What if destiny was not real? What if fate was random and blind like the rock that crushed his cousin on a fateful afternoon and changed all their lives forever?

He jumped when he heard screaming and the rapid falling of footsteps down below. Putting on his mask, he crouched at the edge of the roof and peaked down into the darkness. A small figure came running down the alley, chased by some slightly bigger shadows. It was a boy, no older than six, wearing ragged clothes that hung loose on his pitifully thin frame. When he hit the dead-end of the alley he turned around to face his pursuers; a group of slightly bigger boys. Zuko grimaced; a quarrel of street rats was a daily occurrence in the Lower Rings.

One of the pursuers snarled. “You won’t get away this time, thief.” The boy stood with his back against the brick wall, helpless as the attackers circled him like a group of bloodthirsty hyena-dogs.

“Get away from me,” screamed the kid, holding out a small, pointy metal object.

“We are not afraid of you, dirty bastard.” One of his tormentors stepped closer, an ugly grimace on his face.

“Whore-son. Your mother was a traitor.” The taunting continued.

“Shut up,” screamed the boy, but the knife was trembling in his hand.

“The truth hurts, doesn’t it?” The third boy joined in. “We all know she whored around with fire-nation scum. You are a traitor.” “Scum.” “Bastard.” “Filthy mongrel.” The name-calling got louder. Zuko felt his fists clench almost involuntarily as the boy covered his ears to block out the bullying. He got ready to jump as one of the bigger boys pushed the small thief to the ground, his pitiful knife falling onto the pavement with a loud clunk.  The bullies now all stepped closer, fists raised, ready to deliver the blows on their victim, unaware of the masked figure that landed softly behind them.

But before Zuko could do anything, the boy screamed again. “Enough. Get away from me!” As he jumped to his feet a wild fireblast lit up the dark alley, illuminating the terror on the faces of the bigger boys as they turned around and ran away. The boy froze and watched in panic as the fire caught the wooden plank of the house closest to him. He had an Earth Kingdom face, but Fire Nation eyes, burning distinctively pale gold, just like Zuko’s.

 _He doesn’t know how to control it,_ the thought flashed through the prince’s mind as he leapt towards the fire, extinguishing it with a forceful circle of his arm. While he busied himself with snuffing out all the scattered embers, the boy seemed to recover from his frozen panic and started racing down the alley. Zuko caught up with him, holding him up easily with one arm. He was light as a feather.  

“Where do you think you’re going?” Zuko growled at the kid.

“Home. Let me go, I’ve done nothing wrong.” The boy thrashed in Zuko’s grip, flailing his arms and legs trying to kick him.

“I’m not trying to hurt you.” He said in a more gentle tone and put the boy on the ground, still keeping his grip on his arms. “But you will hurt someone.”

“Why do you care? They were just a bunch of worthless thugs.” The boy spat on the ground to emphasize his disdain.

“You are right, I don’t care about them. But an out-of-control firebender among houses built with dry wood is a terrible idea. You could have killed those people.” Zuko pointed his fingers at the singed wall. The boy turned his eyes away.

“I’m not a firebender...” He said after a moment of silence.

“Clearly.” Zuko interjected drily.

“I will grow up to be a brave warrior and fight the Fire Nation scourges,” he finished looking defiantly at Zuko. The prince had let the remark go; having travelled through the Earth Kingdom he had plenty of opportunity to get used to the hatred towards the Fire Nation. It used to make his blood boil, but lately he resigned himself to the truth that there were plenty of good reasons for it.

“What’s your name? Where are your parents?”

“None of your business.” The boy retorted. “Now let me go.”

Zuko bit back the urge to yell at the youngster who was clearly trying to hide his fear and confusion behind a veneer of bravado. _Assume the best in people and trust that they’ll live up to your expectations,_ Iroh always said. Uncle had a talent to get through to people, maybe it was worth following his proverbs this time. Zuko let go of the boy’s arms and instead put his hand on his thin shoulders gently. “Look, I’m just trying to help you.”

The fight seemed to go out of the kid as he slouched to the ground. “How could you help me?” he asked on a small voice.

Zuko scratched his neck, the kid had a point. It would be reckless to reveal himself as a firebender in this city, but it was downright insane to let cinder-boy walk away and risk the Lower City going up in blaze. Whoever he was, the Fire Nation was responsible for his creation one way or another, which meant Zuko felt responsible. Even if he was not Crown Prince and had been in fact branded traitor, in the depths of his soul, he could not shake that feeling of duty. “I...I know things…about firebending. I can help you learn to control it.”

“I thought you are a water spirit.” The kid’s eyebrows arched skeptically.

“Spirits know all kinds of things.” Zuko smirked behind his mask.

“Liang.” The boy held out his hand. It was encrusted in dirt and grime, an appalling sight. Zuko sighed and shook it anyways.

“So how long have you been able to...do that?” Zuko motioned towards the Liang’s hand.

“It started the night the Dai Li agents took my mother. A few months ago." Zuko nodded. Firebending often revealed itself for the first time at moments of intense fear or heightened emotions. “I think they cursed me.”

“Liang, you shouldn’t think of it as a curse. It’s a gift of the spirits, and it’s up to you how you use it. Though, obviously, in this city, it’s better to keep it hidden.” Zuko explained patiently, not sure if Liang understood it. “First, you need to learn how to connect with the fire.” He produced a small flame in his palm. “Try to link with it.”

“I don’t understand.” Liang shook his head.

“Stand up straight. Firebending comes from the breath, and you can’t breathe properly without proper posture.” He poked the boy’s core with his finger firmly, and Liang straightened up. “Now forget about everything, except the flame. Feel that it’s an extension of the fire inside you.”

“I don’t feel anything,” complained the boy immediately. He was impatient in a way that reminded the prince of his younger, foolish self. He tried to remember the crutches his instructors gave to guide his meditation.

“The flame represents your purpose - what do you want most?”

“My mother. I want my mother back,” the boy said without a moment of hesitation. Zuko felt a sharp ache in the center of his chest. He also had a mother-shape hole inside him, a pain that dulled with time, but never quite left him.

“Good. Think of your mother then and focus on your purpose.” His voice was soft. Liang nodded solemnly and turned his eyes back on the flame. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly - the flame in Zuko’s palm responded. The boy looked at him, golden eyes wide with surprise.

“Now you know how it feels.” Zuko confirmed. “You’ll have to practice this every day until you are in control.”

“Every day?”

“It’s step one - make sure you don’t lose control. I’ll show you step two. You need to know how to stop fire in case you do. Copy me.” The masked prince assumed the pose all children were taught in their first firebending lesson back in the Fire Nation: right foot forward, knees slightly bent, arms extended straight. “The movement starts from the elbow. It must be swift and decisive.” He showed Liang the circular motion. The boy copied his stance and tried to wave his arms. Zuko corrected both the stance and the movement and made him repeat it again and again until he was satisfied with his pupil.

“My arm hurts,” complained the boy.

“I guess it’s enough for today.” Zuko nodded.

“You sure know a lot about firebending for a water spirit.” Liang noted.

“I’m friends with the dragons,” the prince said lightly, remembering the play his mother used to take them as children. “There was a great dragon who taught me everything I know,” he added after a pause. It wasn’t a complete lie, after all, the great Dragon of the West was his firebending teacher.

“Oh, tell me about the dragons.” Liang’s eyes glimmered with excitement.

“Maybe another time.” Zuko reached into his pockets and pulled out a coin. It was how much he earned at the teashop after a full day’s of hard work. Still, the boy seemed so ragged and hungry, he looked like he needed it more than him. “Take this, and stop stealing.”  

The boy took the coin and looked at Zuko with a slight smile. “Will we meet again?” he asked hopefully. Zuko was taken aback with the question. He thought that with teaching the boy basic fire safety, he had done what he was supposed to do for the little street rascal.  

“If you want to practice some more, come back here tomorrow night at the same time.” As he said the words, they felt right somehow. The boy nodded eagerly and disappeared into the night. Zuko listened to his receding footsteps and with a quick, fluid movement he scaled the walls and climbed back to the roof. The night was still dark, but his chi was humming to the rhythm of the sun, filling his limbs with a pleasant warmth he had not felt in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Other characters will be added - I'll tag them as they appear in the story.


	2. Behind the Mask

Iroh stared into the darkness anxiously, waiting for the telltale click of the lock. Zuko had been gone for hours, much longer than his usual nightly excursions. He didn’t confront Zuko about the nightly escapades, after all every young man was entitled to his secrets and his nephew certainly had become a man through the trials and tribulations of the last months. The repeated failures showed the kind of steel and resilience he possessed. Iroh slowly watched him as he started to emerge from the chrysalis of confusion and anger that surrounded him ever since the Agni kai. He had become gentler, more open minded. The time was close for him to choose his path which also meant that there wasn’t much longer Iroh could protect him. This was the hardest part of parenthood. When children outgrew the nest and took flight - and there was nothing left but watch them spread their wings and pray to the spirits to send them safe winds.

 

Iroh listened to the sounds of the city, which he found soothing - it made him feel closer to the son he lost. His heart told him he belonged to this city, he had amends to make for the past wrongs. So he worked every day hard to bring smile on people’s faces. It didn’t erase the tears he had caused, but it was something.

 

When Iroh heard the soft fall of familiar footsteps, the silent click and saw his nephew sneaking through the door like a shadow, he pretended to be asleep, but sighed a sigh of relief.

 

-0-

 

The first rays of sunshine pierced through the curtains when Zuko woke up. He got up, splashed some cold water on his face and dressed in his waiter’s uniform. It was kind of ironic that out of all his expensive education, it was his deep knowledge of etiquette which his mother tried to drill into him that helped put rice on their table. As much as Zuko sneered at the lowly tea-server job, he found that he felt better earning an honest living to the life of a highway robber. It was harder on his pride, but easier on his conscience.

 

When he entered the living room, he was not surprised at all to find his uncle awake, laying out their breakfast. Iroh set out the rice bowls and tea cups with precise movements on the low table, humming a tune as he worked. Even though they were still poor, at least they weren’t hungry anymore - and leave it to Iroh to make each and every meal, no matter how modest into a celebration.

 

“Good morning, Nephew,” Iroh said cheerfully. “In my dream, a new brew came to my mind. Try it! I’m thinking of calling it Sunrise Dew..

 

 _Oh, great. More tea._ Zuko swallowed the sarcastic comment he was about to make and tasted the tea. It was surprisingly mild, but refreshing. As maddening as it was, Iroh really seemed to have a talent in something as useless as tea-making and what more, he revelled in it unashamedly.  “It’s...uhm... good.”

 

“I’m glad you like it. How was your stroll last night?” Iroh asked lightly, though Zuko heard the cautious curiosity in his voice.

 

“I just needed some fresh air,” he said evasively. He wondered if he should tell Iroh about the mysterious boy, but finally he decided against it; he was not in the mood for another argument about stirring up trouble unnecessarily.

 

But maybe Iroh could answer the question on Zuko’s mind ever since he met Liang. He hesitated, trying to figure out how to broach the subject. It was an unwritten rule between them; they never talked about the Agni Kai or Ba Sing Se.

 

“Uncle, can I ask you something?” he fiddled with his chopsticks.

 

“As long as it’s not the secret recipe of my new brew...” Uncle chuckled.

 

“When you were laying siege to Ba Sing Se, would the soldiers have….uhm.. romantic relations with the local women?”

 

The smile froze on Iroh’s face, and looked at Zuko with serious eyes, that were more the eyes of the feared general than that of the humble tea maker. “That’s a strange question. How do you mean?”

 

“I mean the soldiers were far away from home for a long time…” Zuko prodded on carefully.

 

“600 days. A long time indeed.” Iroh sighed. “But we were the enemy and as charming as the Earth Kingdom women are, they would not have willingly...um date…”

 

“And unwillingly?” Zuko interrupted with a dreadful feeling in his stomach.

 

“Do you mean if my troops were allowed to rape and pillage?” Iroh asked sharply. “I thought you knew me better than that, Zuko.” Zuko turned his eyes away. Of course,he knew Iroh as he was now, but not when he was Dragon of the West. He didn’t know the Iroh who would lay siege to a city full of civilians and send soldiers to their deaths, he didn’t know the Iroh who would fight the last dragon and kill it. Yet his uncle had been both of those things once.

 

“I’m sorry, Uncle, I shouldn’t have asked,” he muttered.

 

Iroh put his hand on his shoulder. “You are right to ask those questions, Nephew. You saw now with your own eyes the damage the war has caused.” Zuko closed his eyes. The hardest thing as a fugitive in the Earth Kingdom was not the hunger or the cold, but seeing the wounds of the innocent, hearing the cries of the refugees, the destruction of land that his nation, his own family caused. “And while my men were under strict orders, not all commanders were quite as scrupulous.” Then an eyebrow raised in question. “Any particular reason you’re asking this now?”

 

“I...I’ve heard that some woman was accused of sleeping with a Fire Nation soldier, that’s all.”

 

“Well, we cannot choose whom we love. Yet still, it’s the greatest force in this world,” Iroh nodded, his eyes lost in a memory Zuko was not privy to. He was afraid his uncle would start a long anecdote. Personal stories made him somehow uncomfortable. He also doubted that Liang’s story had much to do with love.

 

“Uncle, we need to leave for work,” Zuko said abruptly and tied on his apron.

 

“Of course. Can’t wait to show Pao my new brew.” Iroh’s clown-face was back on.

 

They headed downstairs to the tea shop - Zuko opened the door and flipped on the sign. He arranged the chairs, while his uncle started the pots. Pao came in to survey his employees. “Good morning, Mushi. Good morning, Lee. Do we have something special for today?”

 

“Pao, indeed it is a special day. Come, taste this new brew.” Iroh yelled from the kitchen, while Zuko greeted the first customers of the day; a group of soldiers, who just finished their night shift.

 

-0-

 

Liang waited in their usual spot for the Blue Spirit to appear, legs crossed, hands folded in his lap, working with the small flame of a candle that the Spirit left him to practice with. They had been meeting every night for two weeks now and it had become easier for the boy to connect with the flame. The fire burning inside him that once he tried so desperately to quell did not frighten him anymore. As he started to understand it, the flame seemed less like a cruel joke and more like a gift of the spirits. If he practiced diligently he would one day become strong enough to save his mother from the Dai Li.

 

Soft footsteps alerted him to the arrival of his teacher. After leaping off a wall, he landed gracefully in front of Liang.

 

“Look, what I can do!” yelled the boy proudly as he produced a small flame in both palms and juggled the two fireballs.

 

“That’s very good. Shows that you’ve been practicing a lot,” nodded the Blue Spirit, but then added more quietly, “I hope you remembered also to keep it secret. It could get you into trouble if others saw you fire-bending. There are many ignorant people.”

 

“Don’t worry. I practice in our house, and my grandmother is too old and blind to really notice,” Liang shrugged, still juggling the two fireballs.

 

“Very well. But don’t forget, fire can be dangerous - if you are too confident…”

 

“I’ll lose control…” the boy rolled his eyes. “Yes, you tell me this ten times every night.”

 

“I want to make sure that you remember how much you still don’t know. It takes years of training to master the element.”

 

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Liang promised solemnly.

 

“Let’s start then.” The Blue Spirit assumed the first position and Liang imitated his movements.

 

Their practice was interrupted by shouting. “There they are! Firebenders in the city!” Liang raised his head in alarm seeing his tormentors, Rian and his cronies, accompanied by a pair of Dai Li agents surround them. The Blue Spirit pulled his dao swords in one fluid motion.

 

“Stay behind me!” he told Liang. He span around with his swords, the blades shimmering as they reflected the light of the streetlamps. The boys backed away frightened, but the Dai Li agents bent rocks at the Blue Spirit. He dodged them gracefully, getting closer to them. He managed to get close enough to one of the agents and knocked him out with the hilt of his sword.

 

“Behind you!” yelled Liang as he saw the other agent circle around him. The Blue Spirit flipped backwards and managed to evade the rock column that the agent bent at him. One of the boys got closer and threw a rock at his head. It seemed that the Blue Spirit lost his balance for a moment from the impact, and Liang leapt forward and sent a fireball towards the boys.

 

“I told you to stay out of this,” yelled the Blue Spirit jumping between Liang and the other boys, sweeping towards them with his swords. The interruption gave the Dai Li agent enough time to trap the Blue Spirits legs with earth spikes and bent heavy rocks at him. He deflected them with his sword, but the rocks came faster and faster and with his legs tied down, it was harder to hit and evade. The Dai Li agent finally found an opening and sent a stone fist at his stomach. The Blue Spirit fell on his knees. The agent leapt forward and bound his wrists. He stepped closer.

 

“Lets see who is under the mask.”

 

Liang leaned closer, his heart thumping with fear for the Spirit, but also with curiosity what would be behind the mask. As the Dai Li agent lifted it, Liang gasped. The face revealed was of a young man with shaggy black hair, yellow eyes like his, and a hideous scar. _He was no spirit!_

 

The young man lifted his head and sent a strong flame out of his mouth at the Dai Li agent. The agent fell back and lost his grip of the stone binds. With a powerful explosion, the young man freed himself and knocked out the agent.

 

He turned to Liang. “We have to go.”

 

The boy recoiled from the hand outstretched towards him, “You lied to me. You are not a spirit. You are Fire Nation.”

 

The firebender scowled. “So are you Liang. It’s safer if you come with me. I’ll protect you.”

 

“I don’t need your protection. I don’t want to see you anymore. I hate you.” Liang said as tears pooled from his eyes. Everyone lied. Nothing made sense. His firebending was a curse, not a blessing. He turned his back on the scar faced young man and ran away.

 

-0-

 

Zuko watched the boy run. It was like that dusty no name Earth Kingdom village all over again. Uncle was wrong; what he chose to do didn’t matter - only what he was. And here nobody cared how his family or nation didn’t want him, he could never change that he was Zuko, son of Ozai and Ursa, former crown prince of the Fire Nation and a firebender. Therefore, the hated enemy.

 

Liang was just a street urchin, a poor nobody. It shouldn’t have mattered what he thought of Zuko. He shouldn’t have cared - except he did. The rejection hurt, another sign of the shameful weakness his father loathed in him. Azula would never let something like this get to her. Zuko had no idea how not to care.

 

He sighed and headed back to their little apartment, defeated, lost in his thoughts. He didn’t notice the shadow following him silently across the rooftops.

  


-0-

 

The following days, Zuko tried to forget about the boy. Still, the menial work at the tea shop didn’t require too much concentration - he found his thoughts kept wandering off. The foolish boy could have gotten into trouble. He could light the city on fire. He could expose Zuko.

 

Maybe all this was just an excuse, but he went back every night to their usual meeting place, looking from his hiding place on a nearby rooftop, waiting for Liang to appear. He never did.

 

After one week, Zuko decided to track him down. Finding people, that was something he was good at. Not that he cared. Not really. It was just a safety measure he told himself.

 

It didn’t take long to get the direction to shack where Liang lived with his great-grandmother. Zuko watched the doorway for a long time, hoping for the boy to come out. But there seemed to be no movement in the house. Zuko entered silently, parting the ragged curtain. Inside the shack smelled of poverty and age. An old woman sat by a tiny window. She turned her head towards Zuko staring at him with unseeing eyes.

 

“I’m looking for Liang,” Zuko said quietly.

 

“Your kind brings nothing but curse on us. I lost my granddaughter, and now the boy is gone. He said he was going to save his mother. He said he could do it, but I know the foolish child will get into trouble.” The old woman spat at Zuko.

 

“Did he say where he went?”

 

“He said he followed some Dai Li agents to Lake Laogai.”

“I will bring him back. I promise.” Zuko said to the old woman and left the shack, his heart racing. Why did his good deeds always turn to disaster? He wanted to give Liang some confidence and a control over his bending and instead he rushed off on a suicide mission. Foolish boy indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now the story moves towards Zuko running into the Gaang soon.


	3. Lake Laogai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko and Liang follow the Dai Li to Lake Laogai, but instead of answers, the only find more secrets.

The half-moon and the stars reflected on the smooth surface of Lake Laogai. It looked so peaceful, like a one-way mirror hiding whatever secrets lurked beneath. The Dai Li agents moved like silent shadows as they earthbended their way, creating deep tunnels under the lake. Zuko watched them for a long time, lying flat on his stomach over a cliff, trying to discern a pattern to their movements, an opportunity to him to slide by them unnoticed. There seemed to be a permanent structure, sort of like a water drain that seemed to be Zuko’s best bet. He soundlessly circled towards it, staying hidden in the shadows.

He was about to make a run for the metal cover, when two agents appeared on the shore, dragging a small figure behind them.

“Let me go,” a familiar voice protested loudly.

“You will tell us what a little scumbag like you is doing on the lakeside. You are a spy…” one of the agents growled at the struggling boy. 

“I’m not a spy. I’m looking for my mother,” Liang protested. 

“We’ll see if you are telling the truth…” 

The agent didn’t get to finish the sentence. Zuko hit him in the head with the hilt of his sword and he collapsed on the ground. The other agent span around, sending an earth-fist in Zuko’s direction.  With sharp reflexes, Zuko dodged the attempt and swept the leg from under the earthbender. Before he could get up again, Zuko punched him with a perfectly positioned uppercut, one of the many useful skills he learnt from Lieutenant Jee. The agent collapsed silently.

“What are you doing here? I don’t need anyone protecting me…” Liang looked at him defiantly, clutching his arms that the agents twisted. 

“Are you always like this with people who try to help you?” Zuko asked with quiet amusement. The boy’s grandstanding and general huffiness reminded him...well...of himself, when he was a young, foolish kid thinking he could take on the world all by himself.

“Only lying firebenders,” Liang retorted. 

Zuko crouched down to the kid’s level. “Look, I’m sorry I lied. I thought it was safer for both of us that way. Let me make it up to you. Let’s go home, I’ll help you find your mother.”

“Why would you do that?” Liang asked suspiciously.

Zuko was taken aback. He still wasn’t sure why he felt like he needed to help this little rascal. Maybe because he saw himself in the kid, somehow. “Because I lost my mother too.”

“I don’t even know your name,” the boy said.

“It’s Lee,” Zuko said, feeling horrible about lying to the boy again. On the other hand, it wasn’t all a lie, here in Ba Sing Se, he felt less and less like the Fire Nation prince, and more and more like a faceless refugee. 

Liang nodded solemnly. “My mother is down there, I know it. I’m not turning back now.”

Zuko shook his head. “It’s too dangerous, this place is swarming with Dai Li agents, we need a plan.”

“I am not scared, Lee,” Liang replied with grim determination. “I just have to know.”

Zuko considered the boy in front of him. Even if he could drag him away unnoticed, he understood all to well the need to understand. He was painfully aware how painful not knowing was.

He bit his lips. “OK, we’ll go together then. We’ll need disguises. But stay close to me. And if we run into anyone, don’t say a word. Understood?”

Zuko dragged the unconscious Dai Li agents behind the shrubs and undressed the smaller one, taking his uniform and hat. With Liang’s help, he tied them up, taking extra care to gag their mouths so they couldn’t scream for help. 

They crept towards the metal door on the small pier that he had spotted earlier. He cringed as the door creaked loudly revealing a dark vertical drop. Not wanting to risk making a flame, Zuko dropped a small pebble into the tunnel testing its depth. Once he was satisfied that he could make the jump, he took Liang on his back and leapt into the darkness. They landed with a thump on the cold, rocky ground. Zuko crept forward, staying close to walls. It was a maze, with a complicated layout.  

After taking a left turn, they bumped into a nondescript metal door. Zuko quietly opened it and peaked inside. A bright light blinded him for a moment, only to swing away. Once his eyes accustomed to the fluctuating light, Zuko spotted, a bound man kneeling on the ground, staring helplessly into the light source. A Dai Li agent stood in the room, repeating “There is no war in Ba Sing Se.” 

_What the hell was going on here?_ The place was sinister and confusing. Zuko closed the door and they continued down the dark tunnel. Another left turn, and they stumbled upon a large room, filled with women, all dressed in identical clothes, wearing identical fake smiles, parroting identical creepy lines after an agent like _“We are so lucky to have our walls to create order.”_ Zuko frowned. _What was wrong with all of them?_

Liang suddenly gasped loudly, and Zuko covered his mouth with his palm to prevent the boy from drawing the attention of the agents. He dragged the excited boy out of the large chamber into a smaller crevice, hidden behind a pillar of glowing green crystals.

“Keep your voice down, will you?” Zuko hissed. Liang nodded that he understood. 

Zuko lifted his hand and the kid whispered with excitement. “I saw my mother. She’s the third from the left.”

Zuko peaked around the corner, towards the sea of faces. They all looked so similar. “Are you sure?”

“Of course, I’m sure. I recognized her.” Liang insisted.

“We can’t do anything right now. Let’s wait and see where they are going after ...whatever this is finished,” Zuko whispered back. 

They waited patiently, listening over and over to chant of the women.  _ “I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se.”  _  Liang dozed off from the monotony, and Zuko was starting to lose his mind from hearing the same chorus over and over again, when the earth seemed to shake and a large tunnel appeared in front of him. Several Dai Li agents were dragging something along the corridors. It was the Avatar’s bison struggling against the ropes. It had to be, even if it was in a dismal state; his shaggy fur was dirty and torn. It was no way to treat an animal. Having heard all about the Fire Nation’s cruelty during the last months, Zuko had the feeling that the Earth Kingdom way wasn’t any better if this place anything to go by. They just hid their crimes deeper. 

Fate was telling him something. It was his destiny to capture the Avatar, he just had to follow the signs. He crept silently towards the tunnel where the bison disappeared, when a small hand touched his palm.

“I thought you left. We need to go.” Liang whispered.

“Who? What?” Zuko asked confused.

“My mother.”

Zuko felt conflicted. It was his chance to go home, but he promised Liang he would help. Also the boy would probably just blow his cover. He would have to return alone to do this. Zuko took one last mournful look down the tunnel where the Avatar’s bison disappeared, and turned to follow the woman with a heavy heart. She seemed to be unescorted as she went towards an exit, apparently oblivious of Zuko and Liang following her.

Once she reached the city, Liang ran up to her.

“Mum! Mum! It’s me,” he hugged her.

The woman pushed him away and stepped back with a confused smile. “You must be mistaken. I don’t have a son.”

“Don’t you recognize me? It’s Liang, mum,” pleaded the boy.

The woman shook her head and repeated in the same mechanical voice Zuko heard over and over in the cave, “My name is Joo Dee and I’m afraid I’m not your mother. Go home, it is forbidden to be out after the curfew.”

“Mum please, you have to remember me…” 

“I better take you to the agents, you seem to be disoriented,” the woman held out her hand.

Zuko stepped out of the shadows and put his hand protectively over Liang’s shoulder. “That won’t be necessary. My brother gets confused easily, since we lost our mother. He sleepwalks sometimes. Sorry for the trouble.”

Joo Dee nodded and turned around. 

When she was out of hearing distance, Zuko turned to Liang. “Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” 

“It must be whatever they did to her down there that messes with her memory. I’ll go and see where she’s going.” Zuko decided. Liang was about to argue, but Zuko cut him off sternly. “Go home Liang, you’ll only slow me down ”

“But how do I find you.”

“I’ll find you, don’t worry. But if need be, ask for me or Mushi at Pao’s teashop.” Zuko said and took off to follow the mysterious woman. She walked up to the small guarded door that on the wall that divided the Lower Ring from the Upper Ring. She was ushered through the door by the agents. Zuko scaled the wall effortlessly and ran along the rooftops. The sun was rising on the horizon as she stopped in front of a door and knocked. The door slid open and a familiar figure clad in blue appeared, scratching his head and squinting in the morning light. 

“Who is it, Sokka?” someone called from the house. Zuko immediately recognized the voice of the Avatar’s annoying water-bender.

“It’s Joo Dee,” the water-tribe boy yelled back. 

Zuko held back his breath. Whatever choices he made, fate delivered him right at the Avatar’s doorstep. It was time to fulfil his destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this update came kind of slow. I've had an insanely busy few weeks, and too many writing projects. 
> 
> I like to think about the idea of Zuko seeing the Dai Li in action. It's horrible in a completely different way than the cruel occupation of the Fire Nation, and it would have been interesting to see Zuko's perspective on it.

**Author's Note:**

> I love the oppressive atmosphere of Ba Sing Se, as well as S2 conflicted Zuko. This is his story as he follows the threads of the mystery that turn out to be a spiderweb of secrets.
> 
> I'm on Tumblr as [@royaltealovingkookiness](https://royaltealovingkookiness.tumblr.com)


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